#47

Dear Aj,                                                                                                   Tuesday July 26 2011

Daddy Kisses!

With every week comes new found adventure, new found talents and new found love. This week your Uncle Tristan walked into the house and started shouting "He's standing, He's standing, I found him standing!" It just broke my heart to tell him that this was not a new trick. It just shows how quick you are changing in front of everyone eyes.

If I could bottle up your laughter and wear it around my neck for an eternity, I would. Sometimes if I am having a bad day, I will give you a little tickle just so I can hear that beautiful sound. You truly bring joy to my life and I feel so lucky to be your mother.   There are times when I feel like you are growing up way to quickly and I am in shock that your first birthday is not that far away.

After I had you I tried different work schedules so that I could find the right balance between being with you and fulfilling my professional duties. I finally found that four, ten hour days worked the best for us. This means that by the time you get up at 6am I am hopping in the shower getting ready to leave for work, I give you a quick kiss on the forehead and I am off for the day. After work I pick you up at 6pm from daycare and we drive home. By the time we walk through the door it is time to feed you, cook Mommy and Daddy's dinner, unpack the bags, bath time, bottle and bed. I sometimes don't even feel like I have time to breath let alone enjoy you, but then Friday rolls around and we start to slow down. We spend the morning running errands and going grocery shopping, it is just you and I.

On weekends when you Daddy has to work, I get you all to myself! And this was one of those weekends, we had a blast. We went to the farmers market and the library, we went swimming and on a walk with Annie,  you even sat in your little fishy swim pool and played for a little while. I love spending time with you and I know that you love being with me too. Sunday night always comes around to quick and a part of my heart cringes when I lay you down to sleep. I know that the up coming week will be hard and fly by in a blur, but Friday morning are always right around the corner and that is what I will be looking forward to.

I love you Baby Boy,
Mommy

Splish Splash

To me the perfect summer day is when the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing, and there is a pool to jump into. 


I grew up spending my summers in or near a swimming pool. I would spend hours in the pool with the neighborhood kids joking around, or spend my Saturdays playing cards waiting for my turn to swim in a competition. As I got older, I worked as a lifeguard and taught swim lessons. 


I wanted to pass my love of the water on to Aaron at a very young age. I signed Aj up for swim lessons the day after I got the "all clear" from his doctors. 

At first Aj was a little scared of the pool. He held on tight like a little monkey, not wanting to be far away from me. When I put Aj's head under water for the first time he came up shocked and not sure what to make of the whole situation. He decided that it was not something that he liked and cried for the rest of the class. I understood why he cried, I would have cried too! It is scary to try new things, but it is my job to make sure that he learns that trying new things can be a lot of fun. So we went swimming again and again until I started to see a smile spread across his face with sheer delight of being in that water

Over the next couple of weeks we would sit in Aj's little baby pool or go next door to the neighbors house and us there pool. Aj learned that it could be fun to put his face in the water and even started to do it on his own. I love that when we get into a pool he has started kicking his legs really quick with the michive smile on his face. If I place Aj on the side of the pool he leans forward to do a sitting dive in, and will laugh the whole time. He is not afraid of the water anymore, in fact just the opposite. If we are near a pool he will do a made dash towards it, whether we are ready or not to go in.

Today after we got done swimming we were taking a shower I looked down and saw a nice tan back and a light white behind. You official have a tan line my little friend.

  It is officially Summer time Baby!

#46

Tuesday July 19, 2011

Dear Aj,
This year is going by so quick, I can't believe that your Daddy and I have already started talking about plans for your birthday. It is hard for me to imagine that you are not going to be my baby boy forever and I feel like every day, every week and every month is going by to fast. One day, many years from now I am going to remember back to when you were forty four weeks old and not remember my favorite thing that you are doing today. It breaks my heart and I really hope I don't forget! You have no idea how I love listening to you "talk" you babble on and on to me, to a stranger at the store or to anyone who will listen to you. You are so causal about it, almost like you are just talking about the weather. Your voice sounds so sweet and your facial expressions are so animated. I sometimes really do wonder what you are trying to say. I believe that you have a kind heart and are giving people much need love and wisdom with every babble.

Your Daddy has his favorites too. This week you have started this noise. The best way I can describe it is as a purr with an excited yell at the end. I have noticed that you do it mostly when you are getting your diaper changed. I guess what ever keeps you happy.

Good Night by sweet baby boy, I am going to sneak into your room one last time tonight to make sure that you are safe and sound. I love you more than life it self

xoxo
Mommy

#45

Tuesday July 12, 2011

Dear Monkey,

As we drove home tonight after a long day of work I heard you in the back seat babbling and it was music to my ears. No matter what kind of day I have had you always seem to make it better. Sometimes it could be a smile or an especailly tight hug, they are small little gesture that makes my heart melt.

For the last month or so I have been introducing you to finger foods. It was wonderful watching you go from sometimes being able to get the food into your mouth to being pretty good at feeding yourself. You are just too cute when you eat, you are just so proud. You sit up nice and tall in your highchair, and make this big wide hand gesture as you bring the food to your mouth. Once you taste your food you somehow manage to make your self sit up even higher with proudness oozing out of you. With every ounce of your body, you project this since of accomplishment.

 Your list is growing everyday, especially since you have started  to show signs of becoming a picky eater. We have started a full blown campaign of "What will Aj Eat". I want you to enjoy food as much as your Daddy and I, so I have vowed to show you all the wonderful foods out there. As of tonight, here is your list of Top 3 Favorite Finger Foods
1. Blueberries
2. Tofu rolled in Cereal
3. Cheesy Toast

We met with your Oncologist on Friday and everything went well. Your AFP is still registering high however everything else is looking good. You're eating and sleeping well you are not running a fever and your lymph nodes that are swollen are only the size of a pea. In a nut shell we are going to watch you closely over the next couple of months to see how you do. You have no idea what a sigh of relief this was for the whole family. We felt blessed that you would not have endure any more pain or discomfort.

As always my little monkey remember that I love you very much, my life revolves around you and I am only happy if you are happy.

Love from the bottom of my Heart
Mommy

C is Circus

When we were young the world around us was new and exciting, as we get older we start to lose that view on life. Yet as a parent we to experience that joy and wonderment through our children.

The One and Only

The Wonder

The Amazement 

The Talent

#43 & #44

Tuesday July 5, 2011

Dear Baby Boy,
As I write this you're in your room trying to fall asleep. You used to fall right asleep when we laid you in your crib, but for the last six weeks it has become a struggle. It all started when you had your surgery, we still do not know if it's because you are afraid to fall asleep or if it's because you learned new tricks. The same week you had your surgery you learned how to roll over really quick and sit up, a couple weeks later you learned how to stand up. Every night you stand up in your crib and cry these huge alligator tears. It is the hardest thing to see you go through night after night. All I want to do is run into you room sweep you into my arms and rock you to sleep, but then there is the part of my that wants you to learn how to be independent and learn how to sooth yourself. For now your Daddy and I compromise every 3-4 minutes we go into your room and give you a hug or rub your back. After 20-30 minutes you will fall asleep. I hope you know how hard it is to let you cry, there has been a couple nights were I will lay on your floor and hold your hand through the bars on your crib. I loved doing it too, you would hold my hand and play with my fingers and slowly fall asleep. You are just too smart cause now you roll over pull down the bumper and laugh at me and think it's a game, so no more of that

Love you Always and Forever
Mommy

4th of July

And I'm proud to be an American,

where at least I know I'm free.

And I won't forget the men who died,

who gave that right to me.

Lee Greenwood

Are you Looking At Me

Enjoying the Prade 

Cheesing It up

Double Trouble!